I am a Tombstone Tourist: someone who loves to wander cemeteries. I find it akin to visiting a museum: an opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture, all in a tranquil outdoor setting. This blog is about cemetery culture, art, history, issues of death, and genealogy - subjects of current relevance. I usually find something that intrigues me and makes me want to dig deeper. Care to join me? Read on...

Friday, March 29, 2013

Cemetery Angels at Easter

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Angels
abound in the cemetery.They have
been described since ancient times as the guardians, guides, and intercedents for
humans; as well as carrying out heavenly tasks, and acting as messengers of
God.

Angels
are considered to be spiritual beings that take on a human form with wings.

Angels
are prevalently mentioned in the Bible during the Passover and Easter
seasons.They are
recognized in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, although most Eastern religions do not believe in angels.

It
is an angel that appears to Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, at
the cross.

It
is an angel, which rolls the stone away to reveal an empty tomb on Easter
Monday.

Angels
in the cemetery offer us clues to their identities, if we search for the
symbolism surrounding them.

An
agent of God can be seen pointing the way to heaven for a departed soul, or holding the wreath of victory over death.

There
are also several famous angels found in the cemetery.In Thomas Heywood’s Hierarchy of Blessed Angels, written in 1635, the Angels of the Four Winds are Gabriel of the north winds, Michael of the
east winds, Raphael of the west winds, and Uriel of the south winds.

Gabriel
is God’s primary messenger and the first angel to be mentioned by name in the
Bible.

Gabriel
is an angel in many religions including Judaism, Christianity and Islam.He is mentioned in religions such as
Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Anglican Communion, and the
Catholic Church.

Gabriel
is considered to be a kind angel who performs acts of healing.He is easy to identify in the cemetery
– Look for his horn. Gabriel is usually shown with his horn in his hand or
blowing his horn to indicate the Second Coming.

Another
well known angel is Michael.Michael is an archangel and known as the holy fighter.He performs acts of justice and is
considered the most “God-like” of the angels.

In
the New Testament, Michael is the leader of God’s armies against Satan’s
forces.He is considered an angel
in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Islam, Judaism, Anglicanism,
and Oriental Orthodoxy.

Michael
is usually seen with a sword, carrying a banner or scales (for justice,) or
seen stepping on the devil.

Another
cemetery angel is Raphael. He is recognized as an archangel in Christianity,
Islam and Judaism.Raphael is the
angel that heals.

Raphael
may be seen holding a bottle or flask.He can also be identified when carrying a staff or fish.

Uriel
is an archangel recognized in such religions as Judaism, Anglican, Eastern
Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Oriental Orthodoxy. He is known as the “light of
God.”

Uriel
is depicted in the Apocalypse of Peter as the angel of repentance. Uriel is also the angel that checks the
doors of Egypt for lamb’s blood.He is the keeper of the key to the Pit during the end of times, and can
be identified carrying a sword or a palm.

Yet another
angel seen in the cemetery but usually not identified is Samael.

Samael
is regarded as an angel who is both good and wicked.In Judaism, he is the angel that tempted Eve. He is also the
angel of death.

Samael
is depicted in the cemetery as the grim reaper with a scythe in hand.

There
are said to be over 30 varieties of angels, but most are not given names.They are shown to be like humans with
wings and halos; acting as the servants of God, messengers of God, and who
intercede between humans and God.

Angels
are considered to be benevolent spirits, who protect and guide humans before and after death.This may
be why they are so prevalent in cemeteries around the world – Helping those
who have passed, and comforting those who remain…

About Me

I
love wine and will take any chance to sip, savor and share it! Hence, Joy’s JOY
of Wine http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com,
a weekly blog about all things wine. I've been in the industry for 15
years as a winery owner, marketing director, speaker, writer, wine judge, and
100% vino girl!

I'm
also a professional freelance magazine and book writer uncorking articles about
wine, food, history, travel, cemetery history and culture. My interest in
cemetery culture led to another great, or maybe I should say
"grave" gig, my weekly blog: A Grave Interest http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com where I get to travel around the country and speak about cemetery topics for genealogy, history and
education conferences.

I suppose you could say that wine is my
passion, and cemeteries are my diversion ... into another world.

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